10 Easy Self Care Tips for Depression

Are you currently looking for some easy self-care strategies or cure for your depression? Journaling, meditation, going for long walks, physical activities, gardening, reading, bibliotherapy, yoga, massage therapy can be some easy and effective ways to help cure depression.

We're also partnered with BetterHelp, where you could get online counseling at an affordable rate. You must be 18+ :

Disclaimer: For more serious cases of depression, we advise that you seek real-life professional help.

Credits:
Script Writer: Elliot Figueira
Script Editor: Steven Wu
Animator: Doodlize (Krystal)
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

References and sources for each of these points:

Write A Journal
Physical Activity
Make An Effort With Your Social Life
Comfort Food
Humor
St. John's Wort
Bibliotherapy
Meditation
Yoga
Massage Therapy

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[Psychgo]

What easy self-care depression tips do you apply?

[nastiee]

Been depression, anxiety and drug free for about 8 months now 👍🏻 just thought I’d share

[myplace]

Here you go guys:

1. Journaling
2. Reconnect with a friend
3.Comfort food
4. Humor
5. St. John’s Wort
6. Physical Activity
7. Bibliotherapy
8. Yoga
9. Meditation
10. Massage Therapy

[queennam.]

Who here got depression? Raise your hand because Im one of you. These tips are actually helpful for me. Thank you for these video Psych2go!! More power and to god be the glory.

[ossen]

*5 additional tips*
- Long walks and being observant of the surroundings
- Practicing meditation and living mindfully
- Detach yourself from things that drain your energy
- Dig deeper and understand the reason for your depression to prevent future attacks
- Find your purpose and follow it

[mollysstuff]

I appreciate the title not saying "to help fix" or "to help solve" but just says "for". Good job Psych2Go!!

[zuko]

Me: *plants flower

Depression: *steps and crushes flower

Me: Dude why.

[ayemyakaungkin]

Aw the art style change and is so cute...

[jusyb]

Problem with these tips: mostly people don't have the energy to do them
Solution: My therapist does this with me everytime my energylevel is low: Step 1) Get into a comfortable positon and close your eyes
Step 2) Feel your body, be conscious of yourself (start with your toes and work your way up the legs, then go to your shoulders, arms and fingers, then your back and your stomach. Try to identify certain feelings like emptiness, warmth, being cold, feeling heavy etc. and just recognize what is there)
Step 3) concentrate on the part of your body where you feel one of the things I listed above, if you feel many things just pick the strongest feeling. Try feeling it deeper (and it's not a shame to start crying while you do this, because sometimes the triggering moments of those feelings start appearing before your eyes)
Step 4) open your eyes and try to project your feeling into the space you're at (for me it's easier to connect the feeling to an object and not project it into the air)
Step 5) let it be there, let it get bigger or smaller, just let it be
Step 6) close your eyes and take a deep breath
Step 7) open your eyes
Step 8) Grounding: name 5 things you can see. Take a deep breath. Name 4 things you can touch. Take a deep breath. Name 3 things you can hear. Take a deep breath. Name 2 things you can smell. Take a deep breath. Name 1 thing you could or can taste. Take a deep breath (repeat as much as needed. It's not bad if you start naming the same things while doing it over and over. Just don't think about it too much, justy say the first thing that comes to your mind. If you feel stupid while saying things out loud for example because you're in public it's okay, just say it in your mind. But in my opinion it helps to say it out loud)
Step 9: Do the selfcare tips

If you're not able to do steps 1 - 7 right away start with step 8 (repeat as needed) and then do it once again after steps 1-7

Other tips:
- take a walk outside (even if it's just out of the front door or while listening to music, just go outside and walk arounf for a bit)
- travel around. Get in the car or even better on the bus or the train and just travel around with no destination. When you feel better again try to get back to your starting point
- put everything away and get yourself in a comfortable position and let your feelings be (it's okay to feel nothing or start crying etc). Just lie or sit there and do nothing but breathing
- do something that comforts and relaxes you, even if you got other things to do (for example run yourself a hot bath or play video games). It might get better after a bit and then you can do the steps from above to complete the task you should do
- take a nap
- try to find out if the stuff you're concerned about is "your stuff". If it wasn't supposed to be yours "give it back". If you can think of a person to give it back to I like to visualize the thing as a package and I hand it over to them. If there isn't a person I imagine a ball and kick it into the void
- put on music that fits your feelings
- write a list of things you have done today, highlight the things that were good and highlight the things you have accomplished even though you didn't want to (preferable in another colour). Name those things out loud and tell yourself you did a great job here (even if you don't believe it)
- improvement on the journal thing: think of a colourscheme and think of the feelings you typically have (for example dark green = super happy, green = happy, yellow = somehow okay, orange = empty, red = depressed, blue = super depressed, black = suicidal) and mark each day with one of thoss colors. Try writing why you felt like this on that day. Over time you may notice what stressed you out and what made you happy, so you can try focusing on the happy stuff and cross out the stressing stuff as far as it's possible

[whatintarnation]

hey love... if ur having a depressive episode rn here’s what i want u to do

i want u to get up, grab a towel, and have a warm shower

wash ur hair and body and have a bath

brush ur teeth and hair and change into fresh warm clothes

make some tea or coffee or whatever u drink

grab ur phone or computer and curl up in ur blankets

if u have a pet cuddle with them

text ur parents and ask for help or if their home talk to them

put on a movie, drink ur drink maybe grab a snack

and just relax and calm down for awhile, until ur able to go to sleep

i love u, i suffer with bipolar depression and severe anxiety and it’s very hard, SO HARD! it’s mental torture, but the anxiety will pass i promise... u just have to wait it out... i’m starting to get an anxiety attack rn and i’m rlly trying to not let it take over rn, so i hope u feel better

[rosetan]

Me: *feeling depress today*
Youtube: *give notification about this video*
Me: oh what a coincidence?

[Amatiellesativa]

Hi guys! I love being a member of this super cool community! Thank you. Here are my personal 10!
1) EXPRESSION
2) Gratitude lists

4) Clean eating
5) Abstinence from self harming behaviors
6) Group therapy
7)Bibliotherapy
8) Talk therapy
9) Breath therapy
10) Exercise/Yoga/Dance
*Positive, respectful, social interaction with others (however casual or brief)
*Journaling

[ey]

The way i ease myself when i'm depressed is i watch my plants grow and take care of them. It makes me feel happy and good about myself!

[llamazarecool]

I just wish to those who had lost the battle with depression were still here to see this useful video.

We can beat depression 💙

[lulu_bot]

"Reconnect with a friend"
But I have none-

[studyme-selftaughtlife]

What really helped me was *MINDFULNESS.*

It’s the idea of “oh, there’s a thought that thinks of this.” Simply watch the thoughts without judgement.

[nashdome]

I love the way you guys personified/animated depression. Makes it feel a little less scary, and seem like something that us who suffer from it can deal with and even in some cases, overcome completely.

[LotusPaper]

This looks like a great weekend project.

[duchi]

*Easy Self Care Tips For Depression:*
1. Anime
2. Netflix and Chill
3. Detective Pikachu Dance

[notsopopularkid]

If you’ve been crying a lot :
1.Drink a lot of water, you’re probably dehydrated .
2.Take a hot shower, the steam will clear your sinuses.
3. Take some time to reflect, identify what you’re in control of
4. Say good things to yourself, even if you don’t believe it yet.
5. Rest, we live to fight another.
6. Talk to someone, professional or friend, it’s nice to vent
7. Eat a snack, you need the energy.

I’m rooting for you, we will win.